For the Want of a Little Sister
by Vigatus
Summary: Tai has recently lost his little sister due to sickness. Find how this development affects the world as we knew it.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I know that many of these stories already exist and many of them are quite good, but this is my story about what if Kari had died when she was sick with pneumonia as a little girl. Hope you enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.

Tai's life was really miserable after his little sister died. It was his fault that Kari died, he was suppose to take care of her but she died and now everyone hated him for it. Tai knew that everyone hated him too. Tai's mom never talked to Tai at all. Not only had his mother stopped talking to him she didn't even come out of her bedroom hardly anymore either. Tai almost never saw her now. Tai's dad still talked to him but it was only to tell him to get up, eat, go to school and go to bed. Tai's dad had started drinking a lot too, and when he drank too much Tai would have to make the dinner for his family. Not all of Tai's family seemed to hate him. His grandmother got Tai a picture book that told Tai what happened to people after they died. The book mostly talked about that people go to different places and these places are good and the people are really happy there. Tai wasn't sure how Kari could be happy all alone by herself but he accepted the gift, as it was the last one he was likely to get.

Tai did not feel that the book could have been all right but he liked the picture that Tai liked the most showed different coloured lights shining through the clouds. Tai liked this picture because it meant that Kari was still connected to this world. Tai would always look to the sky to try to see Kari's light shining through.

People at school didn't really help matters either. Most of Tai's friends avoided him as if he had leprosy. Even his best friend Sora kept her distance after the funeral. Tai didn't know why nearly all his friends abandoned him except maybe because they were afraid that he would kill them too. Tai would spend recess and lunch alone and during class he would make as little amount of noise as possible. Tai hoped that through this good behaviour that people would eventually forgive him.

Now, not everyone left Tai on his own. One person stayed with Tai, just like his grandmother. It also surprised Tai to see who this person was who remained his friend after his little sister died. Tai had never thought that Mimi was a very good friend but even though he had teased her before and now he still wasn't really that friendly towards anyone she stayed with him. Tai could not think of why Mimi wanted to be his friend so one day he asked.

"Mimi why do you keep being my friend?"

Mimi looked up wide-eyed from what she was doing and asked, "Why Tai, don't you want to be friends with me?"

"No it's not that, it's that everyone else hates me so why don't you?"

"Tai no one hates you."

"Yes they do!" shouted Tai through his tears, "Mom hides from me, Dad drinks and shouts all the time, no one at school, but you, plays to me. Everyone hates me, and I deserve it."

At this point all of Tai's grief and guilt welled up to the surface and the little boy began to cry his heart out. The teacher came over and put her arm around Tai and began talking to him softly. She sent Mimi away and took Tai to the office, where Tai sat on a hard chair outside while the principal and the teacher talked inside for a couple of minutes. The principal then invited Tai into his office and talked to him for a while. The principal wanted to know what Tai was talking to Mimi about. After being reassured that he was not in trouble Tai talked about how everyone hated him and how he was responsible for his little sister's death. The principal was every nice to Tai. He even got Tai some cookies and milk from the lunch room and it wasn't even snack time.

Then a nice lady, named Ms. Iwamoto, arrived and she wanted to talk to Tai about things. Tai had never seen this woman in the school and asked where she came from. Is said that she was from a special office that makes sure that children are doing okay at home and in school. Ms. Iwamoto said that Tai's teacher and principal were worried about Tai because he has been so sad for so long. She asked about Kari's death and how that made Tai feel. Tai told her too that it was his entire fault that Kari died.

"Why do you think that it was your fault that Kari died Tai?" asked Ms. Iwamoto

"I was the one taking care of her and I didn't do a good enough job. I was her big brother and I was supposed to keep her safe and I didn't."

Ms. Iwamoto wrote some things down and asked, "Did anyone tell you that it is your fault?"

"No, but I know that it is, Mommy won't talk to me at all, she never talks to me anymore. She hides in her bedroom so she doesn't have to talk to me."

"I see," said Ms. Iwamoto in a quite calm voice, "What about your father Tai, does he make you feel bad about Kari?"

"Daddy doesn't really do anything with me anymore either. He does talk to me more than Mommy but he doesn't really want to."

"What kind of things does your father say to you?"

"He tells me to get up, go to school, go to bed, things like that."

"Does he talk to you about Kari or your mother?"

"No. I'm in trouble aren't I?"

"Why do you say that Tai?"

"Because there was a boy, last year, in one of the older grades who started a fire and then people sent him away. That's what's going to happen to me isn't it? I going to be sent away so everyone will be happy again!" yells out Tai as he begins to cry.

"Tai," began Ms. Iwamoto as she put her arm around the young boy, "I am not here to make other people happy. You are the person I am worried about."

"Why do you care about me? Nobody should care about me.'

"Tai, your sister's death has hurt you a lot and it is my job to help you with the pain that you are feeling. People I work with are also going to try to help you mother and father with there pain too. Nobody hates you Tai. They are just hurt inside, like you."

"So what is going to happen now?"

"Well we're going to talk for the rest of the day, if you like, and tomorrow your mom and dad are going to talk to some people I work with."

"Will I have to go?"

"No Tai you can stay home, you do not need to go tomorrow. Maybe later we will talk to you and your parents together."

"Okay."

Tai and Ms. Iwamoto spent most of the school day talking about different things. Tai even told her about the book he got for his grandmother and the picture that he really liked in it. Later when Tai got home he found that the apartment was empty except his mother's bedroom. His mother was lying on the bed with her eye closed so Tai just let her be. Tai tried watching T.V. but once the cartoons were over it was just news or soaps left on T.V. Tai soon got bored with the television and started reading his book that grandma got him. He spent a lot of time looking at his favorite picture, memorizing it, so that if he ever saw these lights coming through the clouds he would know what it meant.

Later that night Tai's father got home and Tai was in for a huge surprise. The first thing that Tai noticed was that his dad didn't have and booze with him. Tai had just decided that he shouldn't say anything and go stay in his room by himself; for fear that his father might get mad about forgetting the liquor, when the second surprise appeared. His father spoke to him with a voice that wasn't his mean do what I tell you voice he always used on Tai these days.

"Tai," said his father in a hushed voice, "I think we need to talk son."

"Okay Dad."

"I got a call at work today about what happened at school."

"I'm in trouble aren't I? I'm sorry Daddy I promise I won't get everyone mad at my. I promise I won't talk to anyone any more."

"No Tai you are not in trouble. I'm sorry Tai your mother and I have not been doing a very good job being your mommy or daddy since Kari left us, but Tai things are going to get better, I promise. How about you get cleaned up while I call that Chinese place you like for dinner."

"Okay. Dad?"

"Yes Tai?"

"What about Mommy?"

"Well Tai she and I are going to start getting help tomorrow."

"I meant about dinner."

"Oh," Said Mr. Kamiya as he paused and looked towards the bedroom he shared until recently with his wife. "Well Ti your mom and I need to have a very important conversation, and I think I should tell you and your mom might be mad about the conversation, but right now how about we have fun just you and me. We'll save some food for mom, but you and I will have a good time, okay?"

"Okay Daddy."

Tai and his father had a good time eating the Chinese take-out and they even watched a movie together. Later that night as Tai lay in bed he could hear his parents talking for the first time in a long time. Sometimes Tai's mom shouted at his father and other times it sounded like Tai's dad was really angry, but eventually they stopped and things got really quite in the apartment and Tai fell asleep.

Later that night Tai woke up again after having a very strange dream were he kept hearing his sister blowing her whistle because something important was going to happen and she didn't want him to miss it. Tai was upset that he woke up too soon because he felt for sure that now he was never going to know what Kari wanted him to know. Tai started crying because he failed his little sister again. HE made sure to bury his face in his pillow to make sure that his crying did not wake his parents.

After several minutes, Tai finished crying he dried his tears and wiped his nose on his shirt. He then quietly got out of bed and went to the bathroom to get a drink of water. One problem of Chinese take-out is that the salt and the MSG leaves ones mouth very dry. Tai noticed on the way to the bathroom that his father was not sleeping on the sofa like he had been for the past three weeks. This pleased Tai because it lowered the chances of him waking his father while getting a drink. On the way back from the bathroom Tai noticed a strange light coming from his father's computer. Tai's first thought was that his father's computer was on fire. Tai panicked thinking that he would be blamed for the fire and he would be sent away like that other kid had been. Tai ran to the computer with a cup full of water to put out the fire and was very surprised to see a giant egg coming from the computer.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Wow I have gotten a lot of interested response for this story so far. I guess I only have three reviews but what reviews they are. It makes me happy to get such responses for my work. I was going to work on other stories first then get back to this one but I feel more inspired to write on this story due to the great reviews I have received for the first chapter. Thank you to all the people who reviewed and please keep reviewing, It is the only way I know if people like what they are reading.

New Author's Note: Sorry this took so long to write. I have been rather busy with substitute teaching, working as a line cook, taking university summer courses and looking for a teaching job for the next school year. Still don't have one yet even though I have applied for over 120 term contracts. The next time I update this story I might be in Japan teaching. Don't grow up kiddies it sucks. Now that I have finished whining about my life, on with the disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.

Tai's father woke Tai up the next morning.

"Time to get up Tai. Your mother and I have to go to that meeting today so you will be spending the day at Sora's. Do you think that you will have fun with Sora?"

Tai sat up in his bed, wiped the sleep from his eyes and said, "I don't know. I don't think that Sora likes me anymore."

"Why do you say that Tai?"

"Sora doesn't play a lot with me anymore at school."

"Do you think that this has something to do with Kari?"

"Yeah."

"Well I see. I think that you need to talk to Ms. Iwamoto about how people are acting towards you. Has Sora been calling you names or saying mean things about you?"

"No, she just seems like she doesn't want to know me anymore."

"Maybe Sora is confused about what you want."

"What do you mean?"

"Well Tai, sometimes people act in ways that confuse other people. For example, your mother has been staying in our room for a really long time right?"

"Yeah."

"Why do you tink that she is doing that?"

"Because she hates me and doesn't want to see me anymore."

"You think that Tai, but your mother doesn't hate you Tai. Mom loves you very much, and she loved Kari just as much, but losing Kari hurt your mom so bad that she just can't make herself get out of bed. knowing that her actions have been hurting you too has made her feel even worse. I suspect that you are acting differently at school since Kari left us, and that Sora is confused by your actions. I bet that Sora thought that you were angry or that you wanted her to leave you alone."

"What if she doesn't want to be my friend anymore?"

"Well I guess that you will just have to make some new friends. How about that Mimi girl, it sounds like that she is a really nice person."

"I don't know if Mimi will still like me after yesterday."

"Well it is too early to be giving up on that just yet, so how about you get dressed and pack up a couple of things to take to Sora's while I go get breakfast ready, all right Tai?"

"Yeah okay Dad."

Tai's father left the room and Tai got changed and looked around his bedroom to find what he would like to take to Sora's to play with. While searching the bedroom he discovered the egg laying in the blankets on his little sister's bed.

'Wow I wasn't dreaming last night,' thought Tai, 'An egg really did come out of the computer.'

For a moment Tai thought of telling his father about the egg, but then he remembered that he wasn't suppose to go near the computer and would get into trouble for messing around in the computer room.

'Guess it was a good thing that I didn't throw the water onto the computer,' thought Tai proudly, 'I really wish Kari was here, she would have found this really neat. I bet she would want to take care of it and everything; she would have been really good at that too.'

Tai wanted to start crying but then he heard his father telling him to hurry up because breakfast was ready. Tai grabbed the egg warped it in some dirty clothes, to protect it, and carefully but it into his kit bag. Tai quietly ate his breakfast, brushed his teeth without being asked and got his bag to carry over to Sora's.

Tai never saw his mother that morning. He left with his father to go to Sora's and his father would came back and get his mother. When Tai and his father arrived at Sora's mother Mrs. Tachenochi answered the door.

"Thank you for allowing Tai to spend the day here," said Tai's father as the two Kamiya males entered the apartment.

"Think nothing of it, I am just glad to be able to help out," replied Mrs. Tachenochi, "Tai I believe that Sora is in her room, Why don't you go and see what she is doing."

"Okay," replied Tai knowing full well that he was being told to leave the room so that Sora's mom and his dad could talk about things that they did not want Tai to know. Tai remembered how his parents would get Kari and him to leave the room when they were discussing Christmas presents or when they were arguing about dad's drinking. Tai figured that Mrs. Tachenochi and his dad were either talking about him, or what he had said about Sora not wanting to play with him.

Before he could leave the kitchen to go and look for Sora, his father stopped him and said, "Now Tai, I want you to be on your best behaviour for Mrs. Tachenochi, okay?"

"Okay Dad."

"I also want you to promise to play nicely with Sora too, okay?"

"But what if...'

"Tai."

"Okay, I will if she wants to."

"all right, now why don't you go and find Sora."

"Okay."

Tai left the kitchen and went looking for Sora. Tai was scared as he walked through Sora's home. he wasn't sure if Sora would want to play with him and he didn't think that Mrs. Tachenochi would want to do much with him either. Tai walked slowly through the house feeling that as soon as his father left that he would be told to leave and to go home. When he reached Sora's room Tai quietly knocked on the door , expecting to be told to go away.

Instead Tai heard Sora's voice say, "Who is it?"

"It's me Tai."

"Okay you can come in, but don't tell my mother that I am in here."

Tai enters the room to find a cave made out of couch cushions and blankets. He sees no sign of his friend Sora.

"Sora, where are you?"

"I'm in here," said a voice from within the cave, "Don't tell mom, she isn't allowed to know where I am."

"Why isn't your mom allowed to know where you are?"

"Because she is being mean to me. Someone took my hat at school and mom said that since I was not responsible enough to take care of a hat I can't have a pet now."

"I wouldn't want to take care of a pet," says Tai as he looks at the floor. "Mom asked me to take care of Kari when she was sick and looked what happened." At this point tears start forming in Tai's eyes.

"Don't cry Tai. It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it is I was suppose to take care of her," Says Tai as he sits down on the floor and begins to cry.

Sora comes out from her pillow cave, walks up to her friend and says, as she puts her arms around his shoulder, "It wasn't your fault Tai. Mommy told me that Kari was very sick and that you did your bestest but that it wasn't good enough. Mommy said that nobody's bestest would have been good enough. Mommy said that Kari needed doctors and medicine but nobody knew that. It wasn't your fault."

"if it isn't my fault then why does everybody hate me? Mom won't come out of her room and nobody at school will talk to me."

"My mommy told me that your mommy is so sad the it hurts her heart and that makes her sick and she can't get out of bed."

"Mom isn't sick, she never threw up or anything."

"No, not that kind of sick. Mommy told me that because I though that your mommy might be sick like Kari was but mommy told me that it is different. Mommy said that it is called depressed or something like that and you only catch it when your really sad and nothing makes you happy anymore."

"I don't feel happy anymore either."

"I told mommy how you didn't want to play at school anymore and she said that you were depressed too maybe. She told me that I needed to play with you."

"Why didn't you?"

"I thought that you were mad at me, and everyone else."

"I wasn't mad."

"I thought you were because you always sat by yourself and looked mad and stuff. Then when I was going to ask you if you had seen my hat you were yelling at Mimi so I thought that you must have hated everyone for not saving your sister."

"I thought that everyone hated me because Kari died."

"No Tai, no one hates you."

"Really? You don't hate me Sora?"

"Hey we're best friends, we can't hate each other," Sora hugs Tai as he finishes crying. Just as Sora was about to ask Tai if he wanted some ice cream, because ice cream always made Sora feel better after a big serious cry and Tai's plight made Sora monetarily forget her argument with her mother, Sora heard a noise coming from Tai's kit bag. She looked over and the bag was sitting on the floor shaking.

"Tai," whispered a rather alarmed Sora, "I think there is a ghost in your kit bag."

Tai looked up at his bag and cried out in alarm, " Oh no the egg!"

Sora sat stunned as her friend ran over to his gyrating kit bag, "You brought breakfast with you?"

As Tai began pulling dirty laundry out of his bag he said to Sora, "No, it is an egg that came out of the computer last night."

"Your computer laid an egg?"

"Yep."

"Can I see it?"

Tai held up the egg and a look of horror and panic came over his face when he saw a large crack on his egg.

"Oh no I broke it. I'm sorry Kari I tried to be careful I really did."

Sora scooted over to have a closer look. She saw the crack on the egg like Tai did but then the crack grew bigger. She looked over to see the look of guilt and anguish on Tai's face and said, "Don't worry Tai you didn't break the egg, it's hatching."

Yet another author's note: In April I'll be in Japan teaching. Me so happy.


End file.
